Pop star comes to St. Charles from Nepal to flee oppression

St. Charles resident and restaurant server Bhagawan Bhandari rose to fame in his home country of Nepal on songs of love and tragedy.

The 36-year-old has recorded 16 CDs, graced at least one music magazine cover and toured countries such as India, Qatar, Singapore and Malaysia.

His said his success, however, got him into danger in the politically volatile country. He sought refuge in the United States two years ago and has lived in St. Charles for about a year. He works at Taste of Himalayas, 110 N. Third St.

Meanwhile, Bhandari's wife of nine years, Nirmala, his 8-year-old son, Vision, and his 5-year-old daughter, Srabya, move from house to house in Nepal as a means to stay safe, he said. They're avoiding harm from the Maoists, a communist wing among various communist parties in Nepal. It is a feat Bhandari himself was unable to accomplish.

To understand his story, one must understand how the Maoists affected the political climate in Nepal, a poor South Asian country between China and India that is slightly bigger than Arkansas.

In 1996, Maoist extremists began a decade-long uprising against the monarchy, turning the country into one of violence. According to the United Nations, more than 16,000 people died in the conflict and large numbers of Nepalese were displaced.

As Bhandari and his roommate, Ganesh Parajuli, described it, the Maoists had a strong hold in the countryside from 2001 to 2006 and would ask civilians for money and support. 

Meanwhile, Bhandari, who grew up in western Nepal singing with his family during festivals, began writing his own songs and recorded his first CD, "Kothi Galaima," in 1999. He moved to the capital city, Kathmandu, for his career and grew in popularity after the 2001 release of his chart-topper folk CD, "Khaireni Ma Gate," he said.

Sitting outside Taste of Himalayas, Bhandari shared mementos from his career, including newspaper clippings, magazines, CD covers and photographs.

His career was interrupted by the Maoists, who – after years underground – entered mainstream politics after 2006, Bhandari and Parajuli said. The monarchy stepped aside in 2007, they said, and the Maoists won the country's first election.

Musicians, including Bhandari, began singing against the Maoists and its activists, he and his roommate said.

Soon, they said, Maoists began targeting the artists, asking them for money and support in their music.

Bhandari got such a letter, he said, and he refused to comply with the requests. He said he shared a subsequent warning letter with police.

Within 10 days, Bhandari said, Maoists abducted him, beat him and left him in a street, where police found him lying unconscious. Bhandari said he woke up in a hospital and stayed there seven days.

That attack – and a warning from Maoists that next time would be worse – prompted Bhandari to flee. He chose the United States because he had a visa from past performances here and also because of its democratic reputation, he said.

His wife and children stayed behind.

"The incident at that moment was threatening," he said. "The basic thing at that point was to escape from the environment. If I had waited for visa approval for my wife and kids, it would take long time. My family did not suggest me to do that."

Bhandari has applied for a visa for his family, who are being threatened by Maoists, he said. Their case is pending, and he is hopeful a decision will be made soon.